Let's see your exonumia!

When ever I see a post from yarm, I know I'm just moments away from the "Like" button. :>)

 

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I would think they were serial numbers Eng, but that's only a guess. Thanks for the info.

Bruce

 

This was done on the rev of an 1912 Liberty nickel. I had it made for the wife.

 

I bought this pretty Counterstamped Maria Theresa Taler at the last ANA Convention in Rosemont IL last August.

I tried to find who made it, etc., but was unable to find any information about it.

Does anyone know more than the nothing I know?

 

The design was done by Mel Wacks and the die, I believe, was cut by Adam Cool. Cool did most of the early pieces for Wacks, but I think someone else may have produced dies for later emissions.
Wacks himself said that his notes indicated that only 200 were struck, so I'm not sure about the 1,500 number on the presentation card. This is the eighth counterstamp issued by Wacks and is designated MW8. Most of his stamps include a near-microscopic set of his initials (MRW) but I don't see it on your example. It may be so small that I'm just not seeing it.
If you want to read about him, just Google his name. Sorry, I can't provide a link but there's a copy of an article he penned for the TAMS Journal online that would probably interest you Oded. I have one or two Wack's issues in my collection, but not this one. While once they were relatively inexpensive to acquire, that's no longer the case. They appear quite often on eBay though.

Bruce

 

I thought I had a picture of one of my Wacks counterstamps, but I don't. Mine celebrates the 250th anniversary of George Washington's birthday (1982). The designation is MW17.

Bruce

 

Ghee wheeze!!! I am so dumb!!! I should have recognized Mel's work.

Mel is a good friend of mine, and has been for years. We are also both on the board of AINA (American Israel Numismatic Association).

I have the following in my counterstamped collection: MW4, MW5, MW5ERROR, MW6, MW8, MW10, MW12, MW13, MW14, MW17, MW18, MW19, MW20 and W21.

And as for his article - it can be seen here: http://www.amuseum.org/jahf/wacks-counterstamps.html or downloaded as a PDF file here: http://www.tokenandmedal.org/Journal/Journal_files/Counterstamped_Coins_of_Mel_Wacks.pdf

And specifically this counterstamp: http://www.amuseum.org/jahf/wacks-counterstamps3.html

If you search eBay for "Mel Wacks" you will find some that are way way overpriced and only a couple that I would say are reasonably priced (the two Pope ones - MW5 and MW5ERROR): http://tinyurl.com/myb6lpg

Thank you so much for kick-starting my brain...

 

Actually, there are some stamps out there that have the "look" of his issues. I have a couple of them. I don't think they were meant to deceive anyone, but maybe the designers were influenced by his themes and workmanship.

Don't worry though, Oded, I won't tell Mel that you forgot about him.

Bruce

 

I have a couple AINA related counterstamps. I like this one especially, because of the design and clear strike. I have another, but can't seem to find a picture of it right now.

Bruce

 

Very very very nice!!!

 

I was looking for something the other day and found a copy of The Numismatist from August 1915 that I'd forgotten all about. One of the articles was about Battle Field and Seige money.

The French, in 1915 were printing notes right at the front to pay soldiers. And it had been done before.

During the Boer War they had a field mint at Ladysmith that struck gold coins to pay soldiers. During the Williamite War between, England and Ireland, the Irish struck gun money from base metal, some of which were melted cannons. They were to be redeemed, with interest, in silver coins after the war. Which didn't happen.

And then there was the Richmond dollars. They were seige money struck inside Richmond during General Grant's seige of the city. The dies of which: "...It is currently said, by the way, that the dies for these dollars were cut by a couple of Londoners who had enlisted in the Confederate Army, and who had originally been compelled to leave their native London in a hurry because of the misapplied enterprise they had shown there in making money at their own private 'mints...'" [ You mean counterfeiting?]

I never heard of the Richmond dollars. But I'd love to see one of those suckers.

 

Ray Bows make an argument in his Vietnam Lore book about military tokens as a form of "modern" siege money.

 

I suppose they may have been siege money in a way. Vietnam Vets believed they were surrounded by Viet Cong spies/insurgents all the time. At least the ones I talked to felt that way. Or was Bows speaking more specifically about Khe Sanh or something else?

 

I wish I had kept all my military money but the smell of them was very bad. I turned all mine in. I was heading to Hawaii for R&R .............

 

Here's the other AINA piece I have. I had it labeled wrong in my photo file.

Bruce

 

There are many AINA counter stamped and overstruck coins. I have a few but definitely not all of them.

I don't have the one you are showing here... :-(

 

mail today3 pence $2.10

 

Oded, would you have any idea of who cut the dies for the AINA strikes? It would interest me to know. I'll have to keep an eye out for other, different, examples for my collection. Thanks.

Bruce

 

No Bruce, I don't know. Sorry!

 

Understood Oded. I'm just the curious type...maybe too curious.

Bruce